Spain Journey

Barcelona is the opening chapter: a place to settle into train rhythm, walk early, and look closely at how the city stages stone, shadow, and movement. I want this stop to set the tone for the whole trip: observant, curious, and paced for long days on foot without trying to do everything.

Girona is the first decompression stop after Barcelona, chosen for scale and atmosphere. I want to use it as a place to slow the pace, walk the old walls, and pay attention to how smaller cities hold history without the same intensity of crowds.

Montserrat is planned as a change in geometry: less city grid, more ridgeline and stone. The goal here is not a strenuous trek, but a manageable mountain day with time for views, silence, and the feeling of moving through a landmark that is both natural and architectural.

Valencia is a bridge chapter in the route: a city where old stone and modern civic architecture sit in productive tension. I want to explore that contrast and use the stop to reconnect with the Mediterranean before turning inland toward Madrid.

Madrid serves as the logistical and cultural hinge of the journey. I expect this chapter to be less about checking off landmarks and more about using the city as a base: long walks, station transitions, and a few major spaces that reward repeated visits at different times of day.

Segovia is planned as a focused side chapter from Madrid, chosen for the strength of its architecture-to-distance ratio. It offers a compact day of dramatic approaches, elevated views, and a chance to contrast imperial-scale Madrid with a smaller historic city.

Cordoba is one of the emotional anchors of the route. I want to spend time here moving slowly through the historic center and giving the Mezquita-Catedral room in the schedule, rather than treating it as a quick stop between bigger cities.

Seville is planned as a longer-feeling chapter centered on atmosphere as much as landmarks. The idea is to build in early starts and evening walks, using the city's scale and light to linger instead of sprinting from one site to the next.

Granada closes the route with the trip's strongest sense of ending: elevation, outlook, and architecture that rewards patience. I want this final chapter to feel reflective, tying the route's themes together through slower walks, viewpoint pauses, and one last rail departure.